Take This Job And Shove It!

George Burns (age 90): Retire? How can I retire? Who's going to provide for my grandmother?

Beloved acolytes, the past few days I have been musing about Retirement. A rather strange pastime, some would say, for a man who is still training for his life's vocation. Or should that be 'vacation'? I digress...

The Fourth Estate have been trumpeting about the 'mandatory retirement' of Father Bob Maguire. Under the rules of the Catholic Church, Fr Bob has reached the age where he must offer to resign his parish position, though his bishop may defer his acceptance if there is a case that it is in the best interest of the parish ministry to do so. Fr Bob, in his iconic way, is kicking up a stink about the rules, refusing to serve notice, and settling in for a seige with apparent backing from his flock.

But as one man is refusing to pack it in, another bunch of blokes is throwing off their retirement. Again. Yes, the bloated corpse of Cold Chisel is 'coming out of retirement' once again. In other words, yet another quick trip around the country's bigger sheds belting out some now very shop-worn tunes, flogging off as many commemorative t-shirts as humanly possible, until finally the band members can stagger home with their pockets lined to fund their unprofitable 'artistic' projects for the next five years or so before we have to see it all again.

So, retirement. As I head towards a life in Christian ministry it is possible that I may be Coming In To The Office for some considerable time yet. My dear old dad managed to throw away the ties for a life by the beach before his 46th birthday. Appealing as that may be, I have deliberately chosen a path that makes that option next door to impossible. But even if it were possible, would it be right? I've decided to ask these questions of myself before I begin full-time ministry so I know what expectations are appropriate to have.

There are, as I see it, two major dangers when thinking about ending a ministry career. The first is racing out the door too early, being so focused on what you can do after 'work' can be over for good that poor choices are made, pastoral responsibilities bungled, other people left in the lurch, and ending up planting begonias when you should still be out sowing the word. The second is hanging on too long, putting all of yourself into a ministry to the point at which no-one can imagine getting along without you. In this scenario your whole self worth gets tied up with your work, and there is a fear that the ministry will fall in a heap the moment you clear out your desk.

We unfortunately don't have a Biblical Theology of Retirement. Most servants of the Lord end up either dying naturally or being killed by their enemies. 1 Samuel 3:1-2 suggest that the reason that not many visions were seen in Israel at that time was that the eyes of Eli the priest were 'weak'. Maybe we have it there: mandatory retirement for all pastors who can't pass an eye exam!

Maybe the issue is that, at one level, ministers of the Gospel participate in a work which is already finished. Jesus' cry in John 19:30 was not just a full-stop to his earthly ministry, but also the summing up of the whole purposes of God. Our eschatology matters at this point. Has Jesus done everything or has he lifted us up the 99 steps and asks us to take the last one? To be clear, I don't think that we should be semi-Pelagians!

I feel both liberated and strengthened as I ponder this. The Lord demands faithful obedience, but we are not meant to be like the slaves in Egypt. Six days we work, one day we rest. But our rest is found in Jesus, which is enjoyed both Now and Later. In an episode of 'Are You Being Served' Young Mr Grace declared that he would work until he dropped, at which point he fell over. The Lord spare me from such a mindset! I don't believe that I have to 'die in harness', as Rumpole would put it, in order to have done justice to the calling I have received. But there is such work to be done, and joyous work too! Every breath I take is a breath of service, but I think a few years with the grandchildren will be just another step.